10 Prolific Figures Heavily Influenced By H.P. Lovecraft

While Lovecraft may have been considered the Master of Horror in his generation, Stephen King’s reputation as a modern horror author definitely precedes him. However, little do some know King’s initial penchant for horror was kickstarted by a Lovecraft story.

As outlined in his non-fiction novel, Danse Macabre, a young Stephen King came across Lovecraft’s The Lurker in the Shadows whilst rummaging through his father’s belongings in an attic. In an interview with Barnes & Noble, King stated, "I knew that I’d found home when I read that book."

Throughout his writing career, King continued referencing and alluding to Lovecraft’s works, like in both Gramma and I Know What You Need where the Necronomicon makes an appearance. King has also incorporated elements of cosmic horror into stories from the alternate realities of From a Buick 8 and N to cosmic indifference and universally massive entities like the Turtle and the Dead Lights from It.

Lovecraft’s influence becomes even more relevant with the upcoming release of King adaptations like the 2017 TV series, The Mist, with several concepts related to cosmic horror.

With numerous themes and even more references to Lovecraft under his belt, we owe a lot of King's spine-tingling compendium to H.P. himself.